Introduction: Our introduction to Fish Arrow came by chance in researching the origins of the Megabass It Jack wake bait. Fish Arrow is the actual builder of that bait and upon investigating their product offering, we were immediately drawn to the Spooky Jack, a seven and a half inch (7.5"), two and a half ounce (2.5 oz) sinking minnow.

Fish Arrow Spooky Jack Specifications

Type

Swimbait

Depth

Any

Class

Sinking

Size

190mm (~7-1/2") / 2-1/2oz

Colors/Patterns

22

MSRP

$70

Impressions: We've seen a lot of minnow type lures coming out of Japan the last couple of years, but the Spooky Jack is one of the few we'd agree is in the category of a true swimbait-type offering. It's very respectable weight and length justify this classification but so does its overall makeup of a three-sectioned body, and overall heavy duty construction. The first thing that struck me about this bait out of the box? The overwhelming fumes of its finish! Make sure, if you get one, to let the bait air out in your garage our outside for a few days before putting it to use!

Introducing the Fish Arrow Spooky Jack

The Field Tests: I fished the Spooky Jack on two different rigs: a Megabass F7-69DG Super Destroyer Mephisto paired with a Calcutta 201DC, and my Custom G.Loomis BB964 GL2 paired with an Antares DC7. I used this lure over the course of about two months both on the California Delta and Clear Lake.

Complete test rigs for Fish Arrow Spooky Jack Field Tests

Rig One

Rig Two

Rod

F7-69DG Mephisto

Custom G.Loomis BB964 GL2

Reel

Calcutta 201DC

Antares DC7

Line

20lb Sunline Shooter FC

20lb Sunline Shooter FC

Each bait comes in its own special foam lined cardboard box

Careful when you open the box as the fumes can be overwhelming!

Casting: This bait was easy to whip around on the F7-69DG Mephisto, but there's no denying the distance you can get with a longer stick. My custom built G.Loomis BB964 has a finished length of 7'-6" and provides a much better casting platform for baits of this size where distance is important. Because even smaller swimbaits like this one make a big sound at entry, you want to be able and get your baits out past your target zone and retrieve back through that area for best chances at success. The longer sticks help you achieve this goal whereas a shorter stick, like the Mephisto, just don't provide you with enough leverage to really heave the baits long and far.

Rigged and ready to test on the Mephisto

Where I did enjoy using the Mephisto instead though, was when we were close into structure like docks and standing timber. The added agility of the shorter rod really stood out in these cases and the Spooky Jack is right on the fence of a bait you can easily control and deliver with precision.

A case of practice what we say, not what we do... It's best, when using snaps, to go directly to the bait's line tie rather than to any available split rings as the action of a bait can be impaired if you snap to the split ring.